"How goes the enemy?", "What says the enemy" were popular ways of asking "What time is it?" in the 19th and early 20th centuries. The catchphrase apparently originates from a dialogue of the play The Dramatist (1789) by Frederick Reynolds.

Ennui. I've an idea, I don't like this Lady Waitfor't—she wishes to trick me out of my match with Miss Courtney, and if I could trick her in return—[Takes out his Watch.] How goes the enemy?—only one o'clock!—I thought it had been that an hour ago!

In the play, the character Ennui who speaks these lines is described as "the time-killer, whose only business in life is to murder the hour".

Sunday Times 4326: Having the enemy in to complete a quartet? (4-11)Times 23947: Shrub the enemy talked of (5)Times 23480: Opportunity to overcome the enemy when the first orders come (7,4) Guardian 24814 (Enigmatist): So the enemy's winning nothing - area's within limit (7)

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Sunday Times 4326: Having the enemy in to complete a quartet? (4-11) FOUR-DIMENSIONAL? Times 23947: Shrub the enemy talked of (5) THYME (~TIME)Times 23480: Opportunity to overcome the enemy when the first orders come (7,4) OPENING TIME?